Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson has opened up on his feelings on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) loss in last Saturday’s governorship election, saying “The pain is great, it may last for a long time.”
Addressing a world press conference in Yenagoa on Tuesday, Dickson blamed the loss on the unprofessional attitude of the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who he alleged were used by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had pre-written results and pre-determined figures for Nembe, Ogbia and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas and used the military to shield off the returning officers who were all from the University of Benin, the home state of APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Dickson said he believes in the rule of law, but lamented that the security agencies were partisan during the election and warned that partisan security agencies was the beginning of the fall of any nation.
He said he has confidence in the judiciary to upturn the victory of the APC in his first media event since INEC announced the results.
The governor accused Sylva of eroding the integrity of the security forces and dignity of his people, insinuating that the security of the state has been outsourced to him and determines police commissioners that are posted the state numbering about 17 this year.
He also accused APC leaders of using the narrative of disagreement with former President Goodluck Jonathan and Timi Alaibe as “justification for the daylight robbery of our people.”
Defending his relationship with Jonathan who he said remained his leader, Dickson said: “Let it be known that I and my government have absolute regard and respect for former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
The governor disclosed that prior to the election, he went to Jonathan 16 times, but the former President did not congratulate the PDP governorship candidate, Douye Diri on his emergence as the party’s candidate even when he also participated in the primary election.
He said the insinuations on the relationship between Jonathan and the APC is not misplaced in reference to the visit of some APC governors to the former President, saying what they did was strategic after they came and took the state by force.
According to him, “They are using his name and image to legitimise what they are doing by taking David Lyon to him” even when they did not call on him as governor and that with the “kind of comments they are making, it is Hallelujah if they are finally embracing him.”
He said Jonathan did not consent to the alleged rigging as his Ogbia kinsmen never voted, but the APC was using him to prepare a window to wash off their hands and drop everything at his doorstep.
Dickson also defended PDP’s choice of candidates for the governorship election, explaining that with what happened, no candidate of the PDP would have won the election unless such a candidate had a pre-arrangement with the APC.
In rejecting the election results, he said it was shocking that in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area where the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Director-General of the campaign, four state legislators, council chairman and councilors as well as other appointees are members of the PDP, the party would lose.
Samuel Ese, Yenagoa
